Ore-washer



(No Model.)

0. F. PIKE.

ORE WASHER. No. 581,033.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Apr. 20, 1897.

I I i II/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsShe et 2,.

0., P. PIKE. ORE WASHER.

N0. 581 ,033. Patented Apr. 20, 1897.

' (No Model.) 4 Shets-Sheet s.

0.1, PIKE.- ORE WASHER.

No. 581,033. Pat'ented Apr. 20, 1897.

4 SheetsSheet 4.

(No Model.)

0. P. PIKE.

ORE WASHER.

Patented Apr.-20, 1897.

am t f??? 9h Q. FLA.

CHARLES F. PIKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ORE-WASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,033, dated April 20, 1897.

Application filed May 2, 1896. Serial No. 589,958. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. PIKE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-VVashers, of which the following is a specification, reference be ing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has relation to ore washers and concentrators and is an improvement upon a similar invention granted to me under Letters Patent No. 529,307, bearing date November 13, 1894. In practically working placer-gravel I find that the construction shown in said Letters Patent operates rapidly and successfully when the material is of a coarse nature, but where the black sand is very fine and the material carries a soluble clay such as is found in some placers a different arrangement of the riffies is required to. do rapid work. hen working material that contains fine black sand carrying scale-gold, it becomes necessary to set the rifl'le-board at a greater angle than when working coarse material, so that sufficient pitch may be obtained to cause such material to pass rapidly along. If the riffle-board is raised at one end to se cure the desired angle and pitch, the space back of the riffles in which the black fine sand is kept alive becomes reduced and limited and prevents a rapid and thorough separation of the fine black sand from the scale-gold unless the riftle-board is very violently vibrated, in which case a current of water is caused to pass up and down the surface of the riffieboard. This is objectionable, because it scatters the fine material to such an extent that it is forced-over the side of the rifiie.

My invention has for its object such improvements as will effectually overcome these difficulties and permit of the rapid separation of the particles when working fine material and also thoroughly dissolving all clayey substances when present.

My invention accordingly consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrange ments of the parts described in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the device, showing my improved riffle-board. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, the

pump omitted, showing mechanism to give the riffie-board a motion at right angles to its length. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section showing flexible pipe connections for the riffies. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a rifile-board with the riffies fixed at right angles to the plane of the riffleboard. Fig. 4% is the same view, wherein the pitch of the riffle-board is increased, showing that the angle between the riffies and the riffie-board remains constant, while the space contained in the-angle to catch the placerdirt is decreased. Fig. 5 is an enlarged crosssectional view of the riffie-board with a por tion of a riffie broken away. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of a portion of the riffie-board and one riffie. Fig. 7 is a plan of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a section of a riffie, showing the waterchamber and flexible pipe connection. Fig.

9 is a plan of Fig. 8, showing the perforations through which the water is forced.

A is a tank filled with water to the line .20 00.

B is the feed.

0 is a riffie-board immersed in the water in the tank and is pivoted to the vertical links d d, at o c, the upper ends of which are pivotally supported on the uprights e e at a a and receives a longitudinal vibratory motion by means ofthe crank fand connecting-rod f.

D is a suction-pump to carry off the tailings as they pass from the riffie-board.

To cause the fine material to pass rapidly over the riffle-board, it becomes necessary to increase the pitch of the riffie-board by raising its end 9 nearest to the feed B and inserting the pivots higher in the holes 61 in the vertical line at. by reference to Figs. 4 and s it can readily be seen that when the pitch of the riffle-board is thus increased the spaces 4 r r r behind the riffles become decreased and limited and prevent a rapid separation of the finer particles.

I have found by practical demonstration that if when you increase the pitch of the riffle-board you also increase the angle formed by the inner surface of the bottom of the riffie-board and the riffle this difficulty is overcome and a rapid and thorough separation of the fine particles takes place. I therefore construct my improved riffle-board in such manner that the inner surface of its bottom is provided with projections or crosswise supports c c, which may be formed out of the bottom of the riflle-board itself or fastened thereto in any manner desired. The rillleboard is also provided with ril'lies c c c,whose lower edge is adapted to impinge against the supports c 0 0 when in position and have flanged or thickening pieces 0 c, tapped to receive the binding-screws e 0 (See Figs. 5, 0, and 7.) In the sides of the rillle-board are slots 0 a, (see Fig. 6,) described on the arc of a circle by a radius the fixed end of which is at the edge of the corresponding support 0" c" c".

To place the ril'tle in position. remove the binding-screws c 0 place the lower edge of the ritlie a against the support 0, pass the binding-screws c c through the slot c and screw them into the tapped thick euing'pieces c 0, binding or holding the ril'lles in position. (See 5, ti, and 7.)

\Vhen the ril'lle-bea-rd is changed from one angle to another to secure the desired pitch, the position of the rii'fles can be changed to correspond by removing the binding-screws and inserting them in the proper holes and then tightening them again when the rifile has been adapted to the position desired. This enables the ril'ile-board and the ritiles to be regulated so as to suit the diilerent grades of material that it is desired to work. This construction and arrangement give complete control over the rillle-plate and the ritiles, so that they may be regulated at will as the re quirements of the work may demand.

To avoid water-currents over the surface of the ri li'leboard caused by violent longitudinal vibration when the material being worked is light and line, I employ an auxiliary motion at right angles to the longitudinal vibratory movement which is produced by the crank i and connecting-rod (See Fig.

\Vhile the longitudinal vibratory movement causes the material to advance, the auxiliary movement at right angles thereto causes the fine black sand to be kept fully alive and prevents the formation of watereurrents over the surface of the riiile-board sufficiently violent to hinder or retard the work of rapid separation.

In case clay exists and has not all been dissolved, some portions remaining adhering to the different particles, causing them to mat, then the form of ril'lle-board shown in Fig. 3 is used. The bottom of therilllet' is depressed and a perforated plate 0 (see, more plainly, Figs. 8 and 9) is secured in position to form a chamber c for inflowing water through the pipe-opening c To the pipe-opening c is attached llexible pipe connection o having a watensuppl y a. The water-supply being above the level of the water in the tank A it is forced into the chamber c and upward through the perforated plate c". This How of water in connection with the motion of the particles rapidly dissolves and washes away the adhering undissolved clay, leaving the particles free to separate and pass along.

"hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. ,In combination, a riille provided with flanged or thickening pieces tapped to receive biinling-screws and a rii'tle-board having projections or supports on the inner surface of its bottom and its sides provided with slots through which said binding-screws are passed and screwed into said thickening-pieces, substantially as set forth.

In combination, a rillle-board and a rillle having its lower edge, when in position, in contact with the inner surface of the bottom of the ril'i'le-board, said ril'lie being variably adjustable in such manner as to change the angle formed by the ril'iie and the inner surface of the riille-board and provided with mechanism fol-locking the rilile in its adjusted position, snbstinitially as set forth.

CHARLES F. PIKE.

\Yitnesses:

JNO. E. PARKER, .Lvo. STEELE. 

